Health controlling 4.0: into the future with data, attitude and technology

What a day! The Health Care Conference Switzerland 2025 was successfully held last Friday – and impressively demonstrated how much innovative power, capacity for reflection and creative drive there is in the Swiss healthcare system.

Under the motto “Health care controlling 4.0: digitalization, sustainability and resilience”, there was an exchange on the current and future challenges in the Swiss health care sector. The focus was on solutions for rising costs, a shortage of skilled workers, digitalization and innovative controlling and management approaches. High-caliber speakers from academia and practice presented their views and solutions.

In the first presentation “Quo Vadis, health care sector?”, Prof. Dr. Thomas Rautenstrauch from OST, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, painted a realistic picture of the current situation. Health care costs are rising by more than two to three percent annually, hospitals are coming under increasing economic pressure – with an EBITDA margin of just 1.8 percent in 2023 – and a shortage of around 40,000 nursing staff is forecast by 2040. Switzerland is also only in 15th place internationally when it comes to digitalization. His conclusion: without structural restructuring and consistent digitalization, it will be difficult to ensure quality and efficiency in the long term.

In the second presentation, Benjamin Nadenbousch from Kantonsspital Baselland explained how modern controlling can manage the balancing act between cost pressure and quality of care. He uses portfolio analyses, break-even and contribution margin calculations as well as KPI-based reporting as the basis for data-based decisions. Balanced scorecards are also used for holistic management. Controlling is thus evolving from a pure supplier of figures to an active shaper of hospital strategy.

In the third presentation, Johanna Grass-Kunz from the Center for Laboratory Medicine St. Gallen presented an inspiring example of strategic resilience. She showed how the UN Sustainable Development Goals can be implemented at company level, how a company-wide digitalization strategy can be established and how a value-based corporate culture can be promoted. Her central message was that if you want to successfully manage change, you need clarity in the “why” and leadership that looks beyond the numbers – managers and leadership culture are crucial here.

The fourth presentation by Kevin Fröhlich from MFA Solutions GmbH made it clear that artificial intelligence in controlling has long been practical. His open source approach to automating financial processes includes daily KPI dashboards, automated reports via Nextcloud and N8N as well as self-service BI with an AI-supported assistant. The result is more transparency, fewer manual processes and more time for strategically important tasks – for controllers and managers alike.

Finally, Nadine Angele from Privatklinik Wyss presented how even traditional institutions can reposition themselves digitally and strategically. The clinic is making targeted investments in telemedicine and e-mental health, has introduced a Security Operation Center (SOC) and is strengthening its resilience through flexible and cooperative structures – an example of innovation in a regulated environment.

The panel discussion was dedicated to the question of how much innovation the system can tolerate. There was a consensus that digitalization and automation are no longer an option, but a basic prerequisite for a crisis-proof and sustainable health care system.

In summary, three key success factors can be identified for the health care system of the future: Firstly, digitalization with a clear roadmap and a consistent focus on added value; secondly, comprehensive sustainability that takes equal account of economic, environmental and social aspects; and thirdly, pronounced resilience, i.e. the ability of organizations and people to respond adaptively and proactively to change. The conference has shown: The solutions are on the table – now we need the courage to implement them.